Let's Get Things Started

On my birthday Tyler called me out to the garage. When I walked out I saw this sitting on top of his car:

I read the sweet note and then blankly stared at the nail guns.

What?!!

Is he seriously getting ME tools for MY birthday?

Yes and no.

I'm sure you noticed by now that his sweet note is not written on paper - it's written on a foot of molding.  He didn't buy me tools... he bought the tools so that he could make me my birthday present. I love our house. It's location, it's brand new-ness, even it's location on our street - but it is a tad too builder-basic for me.  That's why ever since we moved in I started spouting off a list of ideas that we could do to personalize our home. Give it some character. Most of my ideas are far too grandiose to actually do at this stage in our life... but a few are actually attainable. One of my suggestions is actually quite inexpensive for the amount of impact that it makes - and that, my friends, is a wall treatment known as Board and Batten. It's classic - elegant - and hopefully not too tricky for us non wood-working people.

We're hoping to do some variation of this:

And/Or a variation of this:

I'm so excited to get started! Tyler and I have started to draw the lines up on the walls and are currently in negotiations with how wide of planks we want... and how far apart to space them. Hopefully all the materials will be bought next week and we can start slapping those boards up on the walls! I can't wait!!